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G. H. EARLEQ AUTOMOBILE HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 18. 1915.

GEORGE H. EABLE, 0F VALPARAISO, INDIANA.

AUTOMOBILE-HEATER.

LIEUALSG.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1, 1919.

Application filed December 18, 1915. Serial No. 67,586.

[0 all u'lzom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. EARLE, citizen of the United States, residing at Valparaiso, in the county of Porter and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Autombile- Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automobile heaters and it consists of the special features pointed out in the annexed claims.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a simple and effective heater for automobiles, etc-., which will utilize as much of the exhaust gases as are necessary to warm the space in which the heater is placed; to provide a heat radiating surface; to provide a storage of heat that will continue to radiate for a long period after the exhaust is shut off through a. stoppage of the engine: that can easily be installed on existing cars; that is durable. inexpensive and free from complicated parts; that may comhine within itself the functions of a muffler as well as a heater: that may be placed directly in the space to be heated or beneath a floor register: and that provides forthe circulation of air to increase the radiation.

With these and other ends in view I illustrate in the accompanying drawings such instances of adaptation will disclose the broad fundamental features without limiting myself to the specific details shown.

Figure 1- is a diagrammatic elevation showing a heater applied to a number of many possible locations.

Fig. 2 is an elevation partly in section of an instanced adaptation, attached to the exhaust pipe.

Fig. 3- is an end elevation of 'Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional elevation showing a center rod or tube passing through the heater.

Fig. shows a combined heater and muflier.

Fig. 6- is a face and edge elevation of a simplified form of valve.

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the valve stem and finger piece for operating same.

In carrying out an adaptation of my invention I may attach the heater 4 to any part of the exhaust pipe 2 leading from the manifold 1 of the engine. The approximate relation of an ordinary muffler is shown at 3 when heaters l are installed in connection with the same.

The radiating walls 5 may simulate a helix or screw shape in which the inner channel 6 makes a tortuous passage from a tangential intake 9 to a similar outlet 15. In one form the center is cored out of a casting so that between adjacent walls, as at 7 a contracted opening is formed for each convolution of the radiating fins 5. This opening or passage passes through the heads at both ends where suitable plugs 8 may be inserted. If desired I may introduce a short rod 20 as shown in Fig. 4 to confine the incoming gases to a few turns near the inlet end before allowing them to commingle among openings 7 and spaces, 6 beyond the end of rod 20. Should it be desired I may place a solid rod or tube of any desired diameter through the entire length of the heater casting. If such a tube is used instead of plugs Sits ends maybe left open to induce a movement of air through it if the heater is slightly inclined or placed vertically or heated more at one end than the other and thus promote a general circulation of air within the compartment.

A disk valve 10 secured to stem 11, through handle piece 12 enables the user to turn the heat on or off manually as required. This disk may be stamped with opposing semicircular grooves on alternate portions as shown in Fig. 6 so as to pass over the valve stem 11. The central portion may be flattened at 88 to cooperate with the fiattened part 36 of the valve stem so that the stem can simply be driven into the grooves of disk 10 while it is in the inlet passage, so as to hold the disk against turning on the stem without the use of screws, pins, etc. The handle part 12 may be stamped out as shown in Fig. 7 with an arch formed to enter slot 37. A groove 39 on the stem 11 forms a means for handle 12 in place on the stem when the projections on each side of arch 40 are pressed into the groove, thus holding the parts assembled. It is of course immaterial as to whether these specific details are used or'not as many equivalents will suggest themselves during the course of manufacture, etc.

,The adaptation shown in Figs. 2 and 3 may be placed directly on the car floor 13 at one or more places. It is secured to the floor by screws or other means passing through flanges 14. Projections 16 serve as inlets and outlets. In the latter case, if required I may contract the outlet at 17 so as to further silence the heater or this may also be accomplished by increasing the eflective length of passage 6, or the closing of openings 7 or the forming of the convolutions at a greater pitch as they approach the outlet. The projections 16 pass through suitable holes made in floor 13, the outlet 17 simply opening into the air. Connector 18 1 suitably supported leads from the exhaust pipe when heaters are connected during the process of manufacture, or when installed on existing cars they may be clamped by any suitable means. One way of accomplishing this is to use a fiat plate 19, perforate it for connector 18 whose entering end may be rolled over as needed and then bend the plate around the exhaust pipe 2, clamping the two ends together, or it may be secured in any other desired manner, so that both joints are gas tight.

The heater and muflier may be combined as a unit by locating the device beneath the car floor and placing a register 34 above an opening formed in the floor, the usual form of a shut-01f 35 being used to control the heat. For winter driving a protective casing -11 may be used to retain the heat and for summer purposes it may be removed and the damper 35 kept closed. To increase the muffling effect more than one casting 4 may be placed within the casing 41. It is immaterlal, in a general sense what angular lead is given the convolutions 5 as this pitch may be changed to suit various practical necessities and if desired a' single element 4 may comprise diiferent pitches in one structure 5.

For inclosed cars it may be found desirable to automatically control the heat. To accomplish this well known thermostats may be used, as such a control is not claimed herein it is not shown.

What I claim is,

1. A heat radiator, comprising an inlet and outlet, an interconnected. circulatory passage leading from one to the other formed of large and small diameter convolutions, having suitable walls which connect the convolutions to produce a large radiating surface that is continuously connected with an opening inside of the smaller diameter convolutions to which the inlet and outlet are connected.

2. A heat radiator, comprising a tortuous passage formed as convolutions traversing around an open center included in said passage, suitable connections therefrom to an inlet and an outlet, and means within the inlet to control admission thereto.

3. A heat radiator, comprising a screw shaped member having an open center, a screw formed passage surrounding the same and continuously connected therewith, suitable inlet and outlet openings thereto, and means for controlling passage through the member.

4. A combined heat radiator and muffler, comprising a. continuous tortuous passage, an opening through its center, distinctive from but continuously connected to said passage, and a suitable inlet to and outlet from the opening and the passage.

5. A heat radiator, comprising aseries of screw shaped units comprising one revolution to each connected together side by side having an open passage through the center thereof and integrally formed throughout with inlet and outlet heads at the ends of the units.

6. A combined heat radiator and pressure reducer, comprising a tortuously advancing angular shaped division wall of approximate screw-shaped formation forming a tortuous passage therein, and suitable openings at the extremes of the passage serving as inlet and outlet therefor.

7. A heat radiator comprising a spirally disposed passage whose sides are formed at an angle to each other and to the axis of the radiator whereby a maximum radiating surface is secured with a minimum heat stream, and means for controlling flow therethrough.

8. A heat radiator, comprising a spirally disposed partitioning wall inclosing a chamber therethrough, a spiral groove external of the chamber constituting a radiator, a suitable support for the wall. and an inlet and outlet to said chamber formed within the supports.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE H. EARLE. 

